Once Your Applications are In…. It’s Time to Focus on Financial Aid and Scholarships

The Visitation College Counseling Office will host a Financial Aid Night for parents of juniors and seniors on Wednesday, December 3rd at 7:00 p.m. in the Nolan Center. Chad Spencer, Associate Dean of Admission at Davidson College will discuss the financial aid application, eligibility requirements, sources of aid, and how to navigate the process.  

January is the month for filing financial aid documents!  The FAFSA debuts on January 1, 2015.  File the form as soon as possible.  Check out an interesting article from NYT On Money columnist Ron Lieber—A College Financial Aid Guide for Families who have Saved Nothing for College.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/10/18/your-money/a-financial-aid-map-for-families-who-have-saved-nothing.html?referrer. Many colleges also require that you complete the CSS/Financial Aid Profile, which is an online financial aid application used by almost 400 colleges and scholarship programs to award financial aid from sources outside of the federal government. For more information on the CSS, go to: http://css.collegeboard.org/. 

Do you live in DC? DC residents are eligible for a grant which funds matriculation to public and local colleges and to HBCU's (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). The DCTAG is worth up to $10,000 annually.  Although the grant is not need-based, recipients must file the FAFSA.  Details can be found at: http://www/osse.dc.gov/service/dctag-get-funding-college

Scholarships:  Seniors—don’t forget to consult Naviance for a list of scholarship opportunities and while you’re at it, check out http://www.debt.com/news/2014/weirdest-scholarships for a list of the 20 Weirdest Scholarships—including the Zolp Scholarship at Loyola University in Chicago—free tuition to Catholic students with the last name Zolp! Consult the College Counseling’s Online Resources Page for more information about scholarships and aid.

 -BD